CardioMinute

Quick snippets of Cardio knowledge with Dr. Monica Aggarwal

How do you reduce your blood pressure using lifestyle?

CardioMinute /

There are many ways to reduce your blood pressure using your lifestyle. Weight loss will really help you reduce your blood pressure. Another way is movement. Walking is a great way to reduce your blood pressure. Start a walking program- even 2000 steps extra per day is great for your body. Reducing stress can help. We know when you get stressed, your blood pressure goes up. Stress relaxing techniques like meditation and yoga will help bring your blood pressure down. Another big way to reduce blood pressure is through a dietary change. Reducing sodium through eliminating processed foods and removing the saltshaker from the kitchen table is a great idea. You need to also increase your potassium rich foods in your diet and eat them daily. Potassium rich foods are foods like kale, avocado, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and bananas. Eat for your health!

Listen to other CardioMinutes

How do you reduce your blood pressure using lifestyle? Read More »

How do you take your blood pressure?

CardioMinute /

Most people take their blood pressure with an automated cuff at home. If you are buying a cuff, buy a an arm cuff rather than a wrist cuff. Make sure the size is good and if you have a larger arm, the cuff needs to be larger. The same goes for if you have a smaller arm, use a smaller cuff. Some people with very thin arms will even need a pediatric cuff. This is important because if you have a large arm and the cuff isn’t large enough for your arm, then your blood pressure will appear falsely elevated. Similarly, if your cuff is too big for your arm, your blood pressure will appear lower than it actually is.

Blood pressure should be taken in a quiet room and your legs should not be crossed. Make sure you have been sitting for three minutes before you actually take your pressure. Also make sure that the arm is lying comfortably at the level of the heart.

Listen to other CardioMinutes

How do you take your blood pressure? Read More »

Do we need to stop eating salt to be healthy?

CardioMinute /

More important than considering the salt is thinking about the sodium. The body needs some sodium to contract and relax muscles, conduct nerve impulses and maintain water balance. The body gets sodium from food. There is sodium in most foods including in fruits like bananas. That is not a bad thing.

The problem is that people are eating too much sodium, close to 6,000 mg of sodium per day and eating too much sodium can be associated with high blood pressure and fluid retention. Many people need to work on cutting back the amount of sodium they are taking in to somewhere closer to 2,000 and 3,000 grams per day and even more if you have high blood pressure or heart failure. That can be done by cutting out processed foods and removing the saltshaker from the kitchen table. Eating out is another big source for sodium. To give you an idea of how much salt people are eating, a teaspoon of salt has 2000 mg of sodium in it. People develop a taste for lots of salt and it takes time for those people to realize that food is quite delicious with a whole lot less salt. At the same time, most of the time, it is not necessary to have no salt. If you eat natural, whole foods and add a little salt to your family cooking, you are going to be in good shape.

Listen to other CardioMinutes

Do we need to stop eating salt to be healthy? Read More »

Do you need stents if we see clogs in the heart?

CardioMinute /

Do we need stents if we see clogs in our hearts? Not always. In the setting of the ACUTE HEART attack, you will need an urgent treatment which requires a stent often. But in those people with stable symptoms, non-emergent, you don’t necessarily need a stent. It depends.

First, many plaques can be treated with aggressive medical and lifestyle therapy. We only consider stents when you have failed optimal medical therapy in a person with stable symptoms. Many people can be managed with medications and don’t need stents. Remember, stents do not make you live longer; they only make you feel better. If you have no symptoms, then why do you need a stent? If you have symptoms, such as chest pain or angina, lifestyle changes and medication are FIRST LINE. Stents should only be considered when people have symptoms despite optimal medical therapy and lifestyle changes or the symptoms become unstable. Just because you have a clog, doesn’t mean you need a stent.

Listen to other CardioMinutes

Do you need stents if we see clogs in the heart? Read More »

What is Body Mass Index (BMI)?

CardioMinute /

Body Mass is a quick way to assess someone’s height-weight ratio. It is measured in kilograms over meters squared. If you have a BMI over 25 you are considered overweight. If your BMI is greater than 30, then you are considered obese. Many people think that Asians should have a lower #BMI threshold (≥ 23) to be considered #overweight because they appear to have increased chronic illness at lower BMIs. It is not perfect thought because people who are very thin with a low muscle mass can still have a central obesity and be at higher risk of disease.

Listen to other CardioMinutes

What is Body Mass Index (BMI)? Read More »

What is a Plaque?

CardioMinute /

Do you know what the word heart plaque means? The job of blood vessels is to expand and constrict, depending on whether you need more or less blood to your organs.
If you have risk factors, your soft blood vessels can get damaged. Your body creates a band aid over the damaged area. Then cholesterol connects to the band aid and plaque is formed. This is the start of heart disease.

Listen to other CardioMinutes

What is a Plaque? Read More »

What is a Coronary Artery?

CardioMinute /

Have you ever heard of coronary arteries? When we are talking about coronary arteries, we are thinking about heart attacks, clogs or stents in the heart. The coronary arteries sit on the heart and provides blood flow to the heart. If you don’t get good blood flow, then the heart can die in the area causing a heart attack.

Listen to other CardioMinutes

What is a Coronary Artery? Read More »

What are Heart Palpitations?

CardioMinute /

Do you get flutters in your chest that you worry about? Palpitations are extra heart beats that people feel occasionally. Many people have them when they drink alcohol or caffeine. They can also be associated with stress, dehydration and illness. If you have frequent symptoms, you should see your physician.

Listen to other CardioMinutes

What are Heart Palpitations? Read More »

What is Heart Disease?

CardioMinute /

Does the term heart disease confuse you? Heart disease is an umbrella term for many heart conditions. But classically, heart disease refers to when arteries in the heart get clogged.

Heart Disease Solutions Workshop

Combining lifestyle and medical solutions through a holistic approach you’ll gain the tools you need in the fight against heart disease.

Learn More

Listen to other CardioMinutes

What is Heart Disease? Read More »

Shopping Cart
Scroll to Top